Apple DIY Projects for the New Year

One of my new year’s resolutions is to pursue more DIY projects. This includes things like putting Jolicloud on my Hackintosh netbook, swapping out the hard drive on my iMac, and, most importantly, doing something with my old Apple hardware.

I currently own a Powerbook G4 and a Blue and White G3 Tower. They are sitting in a closet collecting dust. I would love to find something truly unique to do with the computers. The easiest answer is “turn them into servers.” In fact, we published an article a few years ago with similar suggestions — music servers, file servers, etc. My goal is to do something creative with the hardware and put them on display. Leaving them in the closet is boring.

Here’s my favorite project for the Powerbook: the WallMac. Basically, I would reverse the Powerbook’s monitor and then put the laptop inside a thick frame. A wireless keyboard and mouse would control everything.

As for the Blue and White Tower, my favorite DIY project idea is the BlueIce. The case was converted to become transparent, and some neon cold-cathode light tubes and LEDs were inserted into the case.

What do you think? Are there any other projects I should know about? What do you do with your old Apple products?